Gang Related
by Regalithy
Summary: An ex-memeber of the Scouts, a notorious gang of California, Mikasa is trying to pursue an average life. Living with her brother, Levi, she is attending college as a second-year student, trying to pursue her dreams. Will that change with the events in store for her?
1. Chapter 1

_I have no fear of death. It just means dreaming in silence, a dream that lasts for eternity._

* * *

"Give me everything you have in that wallet of yours. Or else."

"You really think... that a broke college student like me is going to have money? Have at it."

She tossed her empty wallet at him. He gave an evil smile, turning his head as he pulled back the hammer of his revolver.

"You're gonna die for wasting my time you little shit!"

She rushed up to the man, slamming his hand against the alley wall as the sound of a gunshot echoed out. She tore the revolver from his grip, throwing it across the alley. She elbowed the side of his head, following up with a left hook into the opposite side. She pulled his head down, kneeing his jaw, then using her leverage to push her attacker into the floor, locking his arm out and slamming her boot into his kidney. He screamed in anguish as she dug her foot into her back, proceeding to snap his arm.

"I'm gonna die? You're funny." She said as she released his arm.

She pushed her dark-colored bangs out of her eye, the scar under her right eye becoming visible. She picked up the revolver, putting a bullet into his ankle and walking away from the scene, his loud scream heard through the town as she walked out into the street. She unloaded the gun, stuffing it into the pocket of her brown jeans as she continued her walk to her apartment.

"I definitely regret staying out later today." Mikasa said out loud to no one.

She turned the corner of the street, entering the hallway lined with doors. She walked up the steps to the third floor, unlocking the first door on her right. Her keys jingled in the lock as she pushed the door open to her modest two-bedroom apartment.

The dark hardwood floor was spotless, as usual. A black carpet lie in the center of the room, the black painted coffee table on top. Two grey couches lie adjacent, a flat-screen TV hung on the wall opposite. A lamp was in the corner between the two couches. To the right, a granite-topped kitchen, cabinets cleaned as if they were just purchased. No dirty dishes, either. She looked down the hallway to the left, both doors closed. She then looked back across the living room, finally noticing the balcony door open.

"You here, Levi?" Mikasa asked out loud, stepping outside to see if she could find him.

She saw her brother leaning over the porch, a cigarette in hand. His hooded leather jacket shone in the night, matching his unruly black hair. He wore dark grey jeans and a pair of black high-top Vans.

"Yeah, I'm here. Take your blood-stained shoes off. You're messing up the floor I just cleaned for the fourth time this week. What is up with you and doing that?" He said, taking another whiff of his cigarette and shooting a glare at her.

"My bad, I had an... issue I had to deal with. You clean way too much you idiot." She said.

She stood next to him, leaning over and taking a cigarette from his pack. She picked up her brother's lighter, lighting her cigarette before sticking it in her mouth.

"You really shouldn't smoke. Its already a bad habit of mine." He said, exhaling another small cloud.

"You didn't get held at gunpoint tonight. That might change though, knowing you." She gave him a knowing look, blowing out the smoke.

"Have anything else you're planning on doing later? You know what I mean by later."

He sighed. "Yeah, we're doing another operation tonight. You could always get back in, you know. The Scouts miss you a lot. Especially that one blonde haired kid, Armin I think?"

She gave him a sad look, inhaling her cigarette once more.

"You know I can't do that. Not after Eren. I can't bring up any more memories of him."

"Sometimes it takes a return to old ways to move on from things. Just like our parents in a way." He says, standing up from the rail and throwing his cigarette off the balcony.

"Too many people have died for you to just up and leave because of one."

"You can't just say that like I didn't see my boyfriend die in my arms because of _your_ operations. Can't I just live a normal life for once?"

"But less would die if you were there. We're far from normal, Mikasa. Understand that... for once." He retorted. He walked back into the apartment.

"I'll be back by sunrise. Ponder it some more, Mikasa. Maybe you'll have a change of heart." He opened the front door, leaving the apartment.

She stuck her cigarette in the ashtray on the porch, walking down the hallway to her room. She went up to her closet on the right, taking her camouflage green jacket off. She had a tight black shirt underneath, taking that off before replacing it with a white one. She pulled the revolver out of her jean pocket, setting it on the nightstand along with the bullets.

"New gun, I guess. Huh." She thought.

She slipped her black boots and socks off, setting them on the floor next to the closet. She changed into her Adidas shorts, going into the bathroom to get ready to sleep. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Jet black hair down to her shoulders.

"Short, just like Eren liked it. Well, used to like it." She said in a sad tone.

Gunmetal blue eyes, the feature she got directly from her mother.

Slim pink lips, ones that she never smiled with.

And most of all, the memories from her life. The ones she wish she could strip away.

Mikasa Ackerman, ex-member of the scouts, former boyfriend of the now deceased Eren Yeager, second year college student. She was definitely discontent with her life.

* * *

**I'm back again! Yeah!**

**I started watching Attack on Titan again. I kinda want to read the manga, but I feel like I enjoy the anime where it's at right now. I don't really know.**

**Well, anyway, I'll update this whenever, it's just an idea that popped in my head after I read a stupid good story. If I feel like it I'll keep with it. Not that I don't like doing this, just that I don't want to all the time. Maybe that'll change at some point.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and keep it real.**

**-Regalithy**


	2. Chapter 2

_"I need to save him, Mikasa. I won't let Armin die to those pieces of shit."_

_"I'm coming with yo-"_

_"No, you're not. For once, just have faith in me. I love you."_

* * *

Mikasa shot up out of bed, her heavy breathing heard throughout her room. She looked out her window, the sun glaring through the blinds. She looks over at her clock.

10:24 it reads.

"Some dream I had."

She gets up, her hair slightly wavy from lying in bed. She walks up to her bathroom door, light shining through the bottom as she heard a slight hum.

She opened the door.

"Levi, why are you cleaning... again? You literally did yesterday."

"Your floor was dirty. I don't accept filth in my household."

"Technically its our household. We split the bills, you know." Mikasa sighed.

"I need to use the bathroom."

"You can wait. Or you can help, the dishes need to be washed too!"

"Those are your dishes."

"Oh. You can use the bathroom, I'll be back then." Levi ran out of the bathroom.

"...and I thought I was dense."

Mikasa did her morning routine. She left the bathroom, glancing at the mirror once more after remembering her thoughts last night. She exited her room, going down the hallway.

Levi, currently washing the two plates he left in there, looked back at Mikasa.

"You have class today, Mika?"

She looked at him funny.

"First off, its Saturday. So no. Second, don't call me that."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Do you want to go grab food then?" He asked, setting the last plate down.

"Sure, but after that we have to go look at a car. It was on my to-do list today." Mikasa replied, starting to walk back to her room.

"I'll be out in 10. Be ready by then." She closed her door.

_\- line skip ft. Reiner's homemade chicken nuggets - _

Mikasa and Levi were sitting in at the closest Waffle House. They'd just ordered.

"So, what car is this that you're looking at?" Levi inquired.

"A 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 456 Hemi. It's red with a black hood." She casually said.

Levi spat his orange juice all over the table.

"You're... buying that?! Do you know how much that costs and how dirty those older cars normally are?"

"Relax, Levi. It's from Reiner and Bertholdt's junkyard. They've pretty much kept that thing in perfect condition since they got it."

"You sure? You can never be too skeptical about you-"

"Levi."

"Okay."

"Did you at least bring enough?" Levi asked. She nodded.

The waitress walks up, handing them two waffles, paired with eggs, bacon and toast.

"Enjoy!" She said as she walked away, leaving the yellow ticket on the table.

"Well, how much do they want for it?"

"40k." She replied, sipping her Sprite."

Levi spat his orange juice on the table again. Except all over his eggs this time.

"That's it? Let's go right now!"

"Finish your food, idiot."

"Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying their food. Once they finished, they paid for the bill, walking out of the Waffle House.

"How far of a walk, Mikasa?"

"Like 20 minutes, it's on the outskirts of the city, near the old hideout." She said, beginning her stroll.

They walked mostly in silence, passing tall skyscrapers, along with plenty of restaurants and other buildings.

"How's Petra?" Mikasa asked, starting slight conversation.

"She's fine, same as usual. Still alive somehow, even after all the crazy shit she's done for me." He says, glancing at Mikasa as they walk.

"That's good." Mikasa says as they pass an alleyway, spotting a group of men sitting around the stairwell.

Mikasa hears a few cat calls from the alley, glancing over in disgust. Levi does the same, sending a menacing glare as they keep walking.

"Interiors... what a obnoxious bunch." Levi says.

They continue walking, seeing the junkyard in the distance.

They enter the front gate, passing the heaps of scrap metal, broken parts and cars. They head to the garage, hearing the rivets of drills and metal grinding in the distance.

They enter, seeing Bertholdt wearing a mask as he welded two pieces of steel in the back, while Reiner is seen underneath an orange Nissan GTR NISMO. Hip-hop was blaring through the garage, the speakers cranked up to max volume.

Mikasa walked up to the speaker system, cutting it off to get their attention.

"Bertholdt, was that- oh hey, Mikasa. And Captain Levi." Reiner said as he rolled out from underneath the car, standing up.

Bertholdt took his welders mask off, waving at Mikasa and nodding at Levi.

"Here for your car, I assume. Too bad, we sold it a second ago." Reiner dejectedly said.

Mikasa looked down.

"O-oh. Okay."

"Just kidding! It's two garages down from here, I'll take you there. I think Annie is around here somewhere." He said, wiping his hands off with a white rag.

"Follow me. Hold down the fort, Bertholdt." He said, walking out of the garage.

Reiner led them down the four garages, opening the third door. Inside, they saw a gym set up. There was a weight bench in the center, with a punching bag to the side, a pull up bar next to it, and a boxing ring taking up the remainder of the space. Annie was sitting on the bench, taking a sip of her water bottle.

Annie had joined the gang around high school, and remained in it to this day. She became a middeweight pro boxer, training for matches around the city. She still remained as loyal as ever to her two friends, Reiner and Bertholdt. She shot a friendly look toward Mikasa.

"You know not to come in here when I'm training, Reiner. Unless you want a repeat of your 'soldier's discipline' exercise from last time." She said, giving off a slight smirk.

"Yeah, well, I figured you'd want to see Mikasa and Captain Levi. I mean, they're kind of important?"

Mikasa chopped his head.

"Kind of? Okay."

Annie looked toward Mikasa. "Haven't seen you in a while, Mika."

Mikasa smiled. She doesn't do that often.

"Hey Annie. How's boxing going?"

"I have a match in two days. Other than that, pretty good. Besides having to deal with these two idiots, of course." She says, standing up.

She walks over to the three.

"Here to buy the car, I assume? Reiner told me you'd be over here for that today."

She looks over at Levi, nodding. "Captain."

Levi nods back, walking out of the garage.

"Yeah, just wanted to stop by to say hey. We should lift sometime, you know?" Mikasa says.

"Definitely. You have my number, call me whenever." Annie says, walking back toward the weight bench.

"You're lucky you had a reason to be in here, Reiner."

"Love you too, Annie." Reiner and Mikasa walk out of the garage.

Reiner turns to Mikasa. "I kind of lied about it being in the third garage. It's actually in the fourth, whoops." Reiner said, walking over to the last door and opening it.

Inside was the car they were looking for, a crimson red Challenger with a metallic black hood.

Reiner walks up to the microwave next to the vehicle, opening the door. He pulls out about 15 chicken nuggets.

"Want some? I made them earlier today? Reiner says as he stuffs two into his mouth.

"...I'm good. Thanks Reiner." She says.

He finishes chewing. "Want a test drive?" He says, picking the keys off the wall and jingling them.

"Of course. Levi!" Mikasa calls.

Reiner tosses the keys to Mikasa, as Levi strolls in.

They both enter the vehicle, Mikasa sticking the keys in the ignition as she starts the car up. The engine hummed as it cut on in the garage, putting a smile on Reiner's face.

"It only took... 6 years to repair?" He said, eating another chicken nugget.

Mikasa tore out of the garage, turning out of the junkyard and ripping it out into the road. A heavy metal song was playing on the radio, Mikasa turning it up as her speedometer reached 60.

"I like this." She said, Levi nodding in approval.

They drove around for another few minutes, turning around and heading back to the junkyard. They pulled back into the garage, cutting the engine off before hopping out of the vehicle.

Mikasa looked at Reiner, a smile on his hardened face.

"You like it?" He asked.

"I loved it." She said.

She opened her bag, pulling out four envelopes.

"Here's your 40k, fresh from the bank." She blatantly states.

"No, I thought it was charity money." Reiner says, taking the envelopes.

She kicks his shin.

"Ow, what was that for!"

"Being an idiot."

"Whatever. You wanna hang around for a bit? A few more from the crew are coming over in a bit."

"Sure, Reiner. Why not. Levi, you're cool with that, right?"

Levi looks over. "Fine by me."

"Then it's settled."

* * *

It was around 4:15 when everyone else showed up. Historia and Armin arrived first, followed by Connie and Sasha. Hange, Erwin and Petra arrived together, ending it off with Jean and Marco. Reiner and Bertholdt had a second building near the garages, they opened it up as a bar during the later hours of the day. Everyone was spread out at a few tables, with Reiner running the bar. Mikasa and Armin were sitting there, grabbing a few drinks.

"Everything is on me tonight you guys, so don't think about prices!" Reiner shouts as he takes a bottle off the top shelf, pouring it into Mikasa and Armin's glasses.

Some guests started walking in as they opened the bar up, a few sitting at the bar while others sat at tables. Most nodded at Reiner, while Bertholdt and Annie took drink and food orders.

"Reiner, somebody wants your chicken nuggets for once!" Bertholdt yells, a smile on his face.

"Sweet! I'll make them right now!" He says, running into the kitchen.

Armin turns over to Mikasa. "Funny, isn't he. His nuggets make me anxious though."

"Trust me, they make me anxious too. You're definitely not alone on that one." Mikasa said.

"How's the gang going?" She asked directly after, sounding somewhat hesitant.

Armin sighed. "Ever since you left, downhill. Our operations haven't been so successful, and losing... never mind."

Mikasa looked down, the mention of Eren making her sad once more. The drink definitely wasn't helping. She never really got drunk, but it made her think a lot more than usual. She took a sip of the Yamazaki whiskey that Reiner poured for him, the bitter taste lingering in her mouth.

"I wish you'd come back, Mika. It's not the same without you." Armin said, a smile somewhat gracing his features.

His long blonde hair had always been the same since his childhood days, but it stuck with him to his early 20's. He still looked pretty good with it as well.

"I've been thinking about it. Don't get your hopes up, though." She said.

Mikasa turns as she looks at Levi. He's sitting next to Petra with his arm around her, eating some chicken wings and taking a swig of some unknown beer.

"It seems like everyone is content... except for me." Mikasa said to Armin.

"I feel it too, Mikasa. Trust me. It hurts, every day." Armin says, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm here for you, though. He was my best friend too. I miss him so much." A tear went down Armin's cheek.

"Armin... me too." Mikasa says, taking another sip of her drink.

Annie looks over, seeing Armin in the state he is in. She sadly looks over at Mikasa, walking up to Armin from behind and giving him a hug.

"Both of us are here for you, too." Annie says.

Mikasa finishes her drink, standing up.

"Well, I should get-"

A loud yell is heard from outside, followed by a chorus of whistles. Gunshots are heard ripping into the side of the bar as a loud flatbed truck mounted with a machine gun drives by, followed by a black armored van.

"Get the FUCK down!" Reiner yells as he storms out of the kitchen, an AR-15 in hand.

He storms outside, unloading on the passing vehicles as they screech off into the night, their yells heard as they drove off.

Mikasa stands up, dusting her jacket off.

"Is everyone alright?" She says while she looks around.

"Looks good to me. Pieces of filth." Levi says, getting up from his seat.

Reiner walks over to everyone after putting his rifle back in the kitchen.'

"Fucking Interiors. Always trying to start shit with us this late at night." He says, sitting at the bar next to Annie, now residing in Armin's old seat.

Armin looks over at Mikasa. "And that's why we're losing."

Mikasa gets a glint in her eye. She looks down at Armin with an emotionless expression.

"Maybe I can change that."

Armin lights up. "Are you serious? You're coming back?"

"After that stunt, I'd say I'm obligated to. I'll meet up with you guys at some point next week. Until then."

She looks at Levi. He nods, signaling her to leave without him. She walks out of the bar, walking down to the fourth garage where her new car is parked. She stares at Reiner's chicken nuggets once more, before grabbing one and getting in the crimson vehicle. She starts it up, heavy metal blasting as she revs the engine and begins to drive into the night.

* * *

**Yeah, that's chapter two. I feel like I'll get into this for like a week then stop. Who knows, though, maybe I'll keep it up. I like this story.**

**I kind of had the idea of Reiner and Bertholdt messing around with cars and stuff so I figured why not. They're kind of like the land owners of the gang in a way. A little bit of character development for a few new characters too, like Reiner, Annie and Armin. Mikasa got a bit too in a way.**

**I couldn't let the Reiner's chicken nuggets thing slide, it was great.**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**-Regalithy**


	3. Chapter 3

"So this is the new base of operations?" Mikasa said as she walked into the building, Armin leading the way.

"Oh this? Nope, this is my bookstore." He said, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Since when... did you have this? You never told me about it." She said, looking around at all the shelves spread out within the building.

"After Eren I needed a major distraction, and this happened to be the solution. That wasn't the only reason that I bought this though."

Armin went up to a bookshelf along the wall at the back of the store. He pulled out a thick book from the shelf, reaching in behind and pulling a lever. A loud click noise was heard, followed by the opening of the wall behind the bookshelf.

"It's also our base of operations. You think I'd lie to you, Mikasa?" He said.

Mikasa had a look of surprise on her face.

"Honestly, why is this such an 'Armin' thing to do?" She said, a smirk gracing her features.

Armin gave her a confident look for once. "I think the rest of the crew is downstairs, let's go." He says as he walks into the hole in the wall.

He looks back once more as Mikasa walked in. "Oh yeah, close the door behind you."

"Will do."

_\- Line Skip ft. Bertholdt's Beans -_

"After the Interior attack on ZS3 Bar and Grill last night, the Captains have decided to launch a counter-offensive against the MP Interior Gang. We will be attacking one of their branch offices in Oakland." Erwin announced at the head of the table.

Armin and Mikasa had recently walked into the room, just before the meeting had started. Mostly everyone was present, taking a seat at the long business table located in the underground room. Erwin was at the head, with Levi and Hange on his sides. The rest were seated across the rest of the table, while Armin and Mikasa sat in the rear.

Reiner decided to speak up, his feet propped up on the table as he smoked a cigarette. "So, when's this attack happening? I want to mess the Interiors up after what they did to me and Bertholdt's bar." He said, having a somewhat fiery look in his eyes.

Jean propped up, nodding in agreement. "Those shitbags need to pay for what they did. I can't believe I actually thought about joining them at some point." He looked at Mikasa for a second, flashing a smile. She ignored him.

Erwin nodded at Levi, signaling for him to take the lead in the discussion.

"We're planning to perform a pincer attack on the office, one group from the back entrance, one from the front, and another from above. The first two groups are mean't to act as decoys, while the rooftop team will be a smaller, elite unit."

He continued. "We'll also have a fourth group leading the three, relaying commands from afar and coordinating the groups. We're gonna wipe those pigs from the face of the planet." He glanced to Erwin, who had a firm look in his eyes.

"Our first group will consist of the distraction squad. Jean will lead this group, entering through the front entrance. Feel free to choose whoever you want."

"The second group, the flank, will be the stealth squad. While the distraction squad creates a large commotion, you will come in from behind and gather as much intel as possible. That's your primary focus. Historia will lead this group."

"The primary attack group, the rooftop group, will be our main attack force. Kill as many of those bastards as you can." Erwin looks to Levi, as if he's asking for approval of some sort. He nods.

"Levi and Mikasa will lead this group. Reiner, Bertholdt, Hange and Annie will also be in this group."

Mikasa looked surprised. She didn't expect to be back leading groups this early. She wasn't going to deny it either, though.

The groups ended up being decided quickly. Erwin stood up from his seat.

"We move out in one hour. Get your things ready." Erwin left the room, Armin and Petra following. They were the command group, which was universally known throughout the group.

Mikasa looked at her group, nodding. They all rose and left the room.

The five walked toward the armory, which happened to be in a room a few doors down. They reached the heavily reinforced door, Mikasa entering the PIN code she remembered from last time, the door sliding open. They entered the metal-lined room.

The group walked up to the wall, each grabbing their respective jackets with the Scouts logo on them, the wings of freedom. Mikasa's was a black leather jacket, the logo on the back. She walked up to something new that everyone was putting on.

Bertholdt looked at her with a soft, but serious look. "You haven't seen this before, right? It's new tech we invested in before you left." He said, handing her a harness.

He continued. "Its called ODM Gear, or Vertical Manuvering Equipment, whatever you want to call it. It basically lets you grapple to things, move around in 'the third dimension.' More mobility. You'll be amazing at it, knowing your knack for things." He said as Mikasa put the harness on.

"So what does this thing look like then?" She said, following Bertholdt to the other side of the room.

"This." He said as he held up two huge steel boxes. "We're the only team that gets them though. The winch here controls the hooks." He said as he pointed to the contraption in the center. He slipped the gear on, fastening it to the various hooks on his harness and strapping multiple belts on.

"This one is yours." He pointed at a black set of ODM Gear. "Levi knew you'd like a black set, so we got you one. You need help putting it on?"

"NO!" She said loudly, cringing in embarrassment after she realized what she did.

"Whoa, whoa, my bad! I'll leave you to it then." Bertholdt said, walking to the other side of the room.

She grabbed the gear, struggling with the hooks and straps for a second before figuring out what went where. She finished, the light boxes by her side. The turbine was on the back of her waist, sitting comfortably.

Reiner whistled. "Damn, that looks good on you, Mik!" He said. Annie hit his arm hard.

"Relax, girly, that's not your boyfriend!" She hit him again.

"Okay, okay, my bad."

Levi looked at her. "Your blades are over there. Hurry up." He pointed at the side of the room near Bertholdt and Hange, blades lining the wall.

Hange had a demonic look in her eye as she looked at the various blades, a glint in her glasses.

She walked over, grabbing four and putting them in the boxes on her sides. She pushed her hair out of her eye, her onyx irises reflecting in the light.

She had a fiery look in her eye, as if she was hoping for bloodshed. She wanted to avenge Eren, and she had a way to do it. She imagined herself ripping into every single one of those Interiors, their blood splattering across the walls. Annie knocked her out of her stupor.

"Wait until we get on the battlefield." She walked out the room. The rest of the group followed suit.

The group met up with the rest. Jean's squad was kitted out in riot gear, each holding shields and varying weaponry. Historia's group was kitted out with night vision goggles, and varying apparel.

The elite group was blacked out, each wearing different jackets with metallic ODM gear. They each had black shirts, with padded pants and combat boots. Each of them topped it off with a lower half face mask. Mikasa wore a red scarf, housing a determined look in her eyes.

They all exited out of a secondary staircase, from a basement into the next door alley. Three vans were parked. Jean and Historia's group each got in one, while Mikasa and Erwin's group got in the other. Petra sat down next to Levi, while Armin sat next to Annie and Mikasa. Reiner sat next to Mikasa, Bertholdt in the seat adjacent. Erwin was driving the third van, Hange in the passenger seat.

They began the 40 minute drive from San Francisco to Oakland. They began to cross the Bay Bridge. Mikasa looked over, seeing Annie's head leaning against Armin's shoulder. Bertholdt and Reiner were playing rock paper scissors for some reason she really didn't want to know. She looked across the van, seeing Levi and Petra whispering to each other. She smiled.

She looked down at the scarf she was wearing. It was the scarf that Eren gave her when they first met. She hazily remembered the story, trying not to bring back the angst in remembering Eren.

She clenched her fist.

_**I'm going to kill every single Interior in this building.**_

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter. Somewhat a prelude to the bloodbath that'll probably happen next chapter. It'll be kind of graphic, but sounds like my type of story.**

**I had a soccer tournament this weekend so I wasn't able to upload or write as earlier as I'd hoped to. I'll try my best to update every other day. It's a schedule I'm gonna try to pick up for this story.**

**Anyway, have a good one, and take it easy.**

**-Regalithy**


	4. Chapter 4

Mikasa was abruptly awoken by the hand of the person next to her. She groggily opened her eyes, slowly regaining her senses after her short period of rest. Her last though was running through her mind, as if one had screamed it as their dying wish.

**_I'm going to kill every single Interior in this building._**

She pushed a strand of hair out of her face once again, her eyes ever so dull, even in the moonlight. She takes in the atmosphere of the van once more before finally exiting, the thump of her boots and gear making an audible clunk.

Mikasa takes a firm glance at every member of her team, confident that each individual would make it back alive. She went to Levi, the unruly hair of her brother the first feature seen. She thought about the last conversation they had, remembering certain things she said, now realizing how much of that she went against.

Levi turned to her, a slight smirk slowly easing onto his features. "Not joining the Scouts again. Bold statement, Mika."

"Didn't I say to not call me that, neat-freak?"

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say." Levi glanced around the now empty midnight street. The building in question was a block ahead of them, the vans parked in an alley nearby. The dull hum of the city was audible, a few lights illuminating the nearby apartment windows. A street light flickered in the distance as the cold winter air pierced their lungs.

Mikasa looked around at the group once more before opening her mouth to issue a firm order.

"Lets move."

They each activate their vertical maneuvering gear, shooting up through the night as the grappling hooks clung to the nearby brick walls. They reached the rooftops as they plotted out their meticulous jumps, the California skyline apparent in their peripheral vision. They slowly approached the building in question, a satellite of the main Interior headquarters.

Adrenaline flowed through Mikasa's veins as she ran through the rooftops, taking risky slides and jumps as she weaved her way through the air conditioning units and pipes around her. Each sound of the hooks slamming into walls, boots hitting the ground, and the echo of the concrete as a group member hit the floor made her heart race even more, a gradual smile beginning to creep onto her usually stoic face.

"Almost at the target." Annie said as she landed on the next rooftop, rolling out of the jump to absorb the impact. The gear clanked against their hips with each step, a metallic noise reverberating through the sleeping city.

A fence enclosed building soon entered Mikasa's field of view, the majority of the group stopping as they reached the next rooftop. Mikasa's boots slammed against the concrete once more, sitting on the ground to catch her breath after the exhilarating adventure. She looked up at the night sky, a spectrum of stars filling her vision. A smile was plastered on her face, warranting a look of shock from some of the members of the group.

"That's a first, she's smiling!" Hanji exclaimed, her eye lit up in delight.

Mikasa looked her way, the smile still on her face. "That was really fun."

Levi groans in annoyance. "You know, we have a mission that we kind of have to do, you know? So you idiots should focus on the task at hand. Our intel gatherers are here, if you didn't notice." Levi points at a girl and an older man in the distance.

Mikasa's eyes light up as she sees her college classmate standing opposite on the rooftop. She walks over to the two, eyeing her up and down. The remainder of the group follows.

Black hair sprawled down the girls back, her eyes conveying a look of extreme sleep deprivation. However, she had a neutral expression that paired nicely with her facial structure. The man had somewhat long hair, with a thick beard on his face. He appeared older than he truly was, a pair of thick, round glasses on his face.

Levi nods at the two as he approaches. "Zeke, Pieck. How've you two been doing?"

Pieck gives a subtle smile. "I've been doing surprisingly good, especially since I've been able to focus on college recently. It's always nice to see Mikasa's face pop up every now and then too."

Mikasa nods. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Pieck. My favorite nap time buddy during Economics 101." She humbly states.

"I don't think that's something to be proud of. That's not the discipline that a college student should have, is it?" Reiner calmly states.

"No, not really, but who cares anyway!" Pieck replies.

Annie looks over at Zeke, expecting a response as well. "What about you, old guy?"

"Things have been okay, getting better. My short life is still a mess, however unapparent it may be."

He pauses for a moment, sighing before continuing. "I brought a coffee grinder if you'd like to have a chat while we wait for the signal. It will probably be a while, considering the distance the ground forces have to travel, in addition to setting up." He picks up the device on the floor, multiple plastic cups on the floor where it originally lie.

Reiner and Bertholdt gain pleased expressions as they eye the coffee.

"You know us too well, Mr. Yeager." Bertholdt replies, leaning up against an air conditioning vent as he takes a seat. Reiner follows, taking the seat next to him.

"Why not, wouldn't mind a drink with two of my favorite people." Mikasa says as she plops down on the concrete next to Pieck, who is already sitting.

A small amount of time passes, each of the few seated engrossed in conversation as they enjoy the company of their comrades. Mikasa's thoughts slowly drift back to Eren, remembering how much he enjoyed these menial things.

She could still see the smile on his face, his green orbs flashing in the light as he stuck his thumb up, normally followed by the phrase, "Anything for you, Mika!"

Her daydreaming then cut to more violent images, the last conflict announcing itself in her memory. The screams of the dying Scouts, the gun pointed at Armin's head. Eren's corpse on the ground, lifeless as the blood seeped from his chest cavity. Her screams of anguish as she slammed her hands into Levi as she dragged her away, gunfire echoing in the background of the burning facility.

She snapped back to reality when Pieck shoved her shoulder.

"You okay Mikasa?" She asks, a look of concern filling her drowsy-looking eyes.

"Of course, just a slight headache again." She says, brushing her off as the conversation continued in the background.

She turned her attention into Zeke, in the midst of a lengthy speech with Reiner about business management.

"The main goal when you run an industry is to keep the customers happy, while at the same time making a profit. But you probably already know that, based on the success of your current establishment." He droned on, Reiner absorbing the information as Bertholdt stared off into space.

He continued. "Maybe you should prioritize your source of income over your product line, however."

Reiner's face morphed into one of shock. "You're not saying to give up on my nuggets, right? Those are my pride and joy, I can't do that! How could you say such a thing?"

A laugh echoed throughout the group, Mikasa's face gaining a slight smirk as she heard the statement.

In spite of the joyous atmosphere, Mikasa couldn't shake off her prior thought, as hard as she tried.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the walkie-talkie on Levi's hip going off.

_"Get into position, the operation is soon to commence. Repeat, all squads, get into position, the operation is soon to commence."_

Everyone tensed up after the announcement.

"Well, it's best if we get going." Zeke says, motioning to Pieck.

"Yes, of course. The intel we've gathered over the past few days is in this envelope." Pieck says, waving an envelope around. She then hands it to Levi.

"Don't lose it, buddy!" She adds. Levi shoots her a demonic glare.

"...Don't try me. Buddy." He turns away

Mikasa speaks up. "Alright everyone, in position. Get ready to breach on the signal."

Everyone lines up along the building. Reiner and Bertholdt nod at each other. Annie stares off into space, as usual. Levi looks at Mikasa, reverting his gaze to Hange afterward.

Mikasa looks back once more, glancing at the fleeting figures.

Pieck glances back, sending a friendly wave. The two are seen zipping across buildings as they flee into the moonlight.

The tense atmosphere is felt throughout the group, as if it was cutting through the atmosphere. The squad stood at the ready, preparing for the signal to jump off the ledge into their first major combat scenario.

A bright orange flare is seen being shot into the sky next to the building, acting as a signal for commencement.

"Let's do this. For Eren." Mikasa says as she shoots into the sky, landing on the roof of the next building as the mission officially begins.

* * *

**And I quote, "I'll try to update this at least once a week!" Yeah. Didn't happen. My bad. **

**Anyway, I wrote this over a few days. It was more of an attempt to add a bit more detail to aid in visualization. I like how it came out, and I think the wait was worth it. I was originally planning on putting the setup chapter and the next chapter in one, but I decided against it in favor of splitting the two atmospheres. I went for a more calm one in this chapter. **

**The next one... not so much. That one will be violent. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Take it easy, and have a good one.**

**-Regalithy**


	5. Chapter 5: Homecoming

**_"Yours, not mine."_**

* * *

"Jean, come in Jean! Reiner, Petra, Levi, anyone!"

She sprinted through the hallways, the corpses of both her teammates and Interiors lining the cramped space. She frantically called out every name she knew over the radio, no response. Tears brimmed around the normally stoic girls' eyes as she scanned each room she encountered. Gunshots rang out periodically, her ears ringing from the constant gunfire throughout the Interior building.

_Its like they knew we were coming._

She slammed her body into a set of doors, slamming them open.

The first thing that hit was the smell. The odor of rotten flesh and crimson blood, enough to send shivers down your spine. Enough to make any normal person scream in terror and quiver in fear.

Afterward, her eyes adjusted to the bright white light in the room, in contrast to the pitch black hallways. Then she saw it.

Levi, lying on the floor. A blade lodged straight into his abdomen, blood pooling around his body. His shallow breaths indicated he was alive, but not for long. His pained gaze bore straight into Mikasa's eyes.

She screamed. She didn't know what else to do. It felt as if history was repeating itself.

"Levi. Levi. Levi. Levi. Levi. You... you can't die. Not you too. Stay with me Levi. Levi. Levi!" She grabbed his hand, his voice barely recognizing a word she said.

He slowly turned his head, looking at her, eyes full of remorse.

"...It...shoul-shouldn't be... this way." He whispered out, tears beginning to run down his face.

He gave her one last smile.

"I'll always love you, sister."

_Everyone always leaves you._

She stood. Emotionless.

Mikasa slammed her hand into the brick wall. She made a sprint for the next door.

She tore through the corridors. She killed everything in sight.

Her blades were soaked with blood. The screams of fallen Interiors rung in her ears.

_The world wants you to die._

She slammed her blade into the interior's skull, a violent scream cut off ever so abruptly.

_You deserve to die._

She ran into the next room. Her feet were heard pounding against the porcelain floors. She reached a large door, "DO NOT ENTER" plastered on the boards. She didn't care.

She stuck her foot in the doorknob, tearing it off the hinges. Her heavy breathing was apparent, adrenaline coursing through her.

_Kill._

She slashed through everyone in her vision.

She was stopped by a bullet in her chest.

_Now die._

She looked down in realization. Her face went through a cluster of emotions.

Fear, anger, terror, sadness, depression. Happiness.

She looked around once more, opening her mouth to say her final words.

"It's for the best, isn't it?"

* * *

Her eyes snapped open as she regained her consciousness.

She took in a deep breath, taking in her surroundings. She finally faced the realization that she died.

"Am I not dead?" She said aloud.

"No." A voice said.

She began to take in her surroundings. A densely wooded area, with a small clearing in the middle. A tent, along with a campfire. A mysterious man tending to it.

"You're in limbo. The place between life and death. You can choose to go back, or you can choose to go to the afterlife. Your choice." The man turned toward her.

"What will you decide?" Said Eren Yeager as he turned to face her.


End file.
